How does mold within a house affect your health?

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Exposure to mold can cause nasal stuffiness, itchy eyes, irritated skin and wheezing. People with serious allergies may have more severe reactions, claims The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Some people are more sensitive to mold than others, and the more severe reactions are fevers or a shortness of breath. Those who suffer from chronic lung illnesses, such as obtrusive lung disease, are more susceptible to developing mold infections in the lungs, as reported by the CDC.

The Institute of Medicine finds substantial evidence that connects indoor mold exposure to upper respiratory tract symptoms in otherwise healthy people, as reported by the CDC. The IOM has also linked mold exposure to asthma symptoms in those with asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis in people susceptible to the immune-mediated condition. There is also sufficient evidence that points to indoor mold exposure being the cause of respiratory sickness in healthy children.

Other studies have indicated a probable link between early mold exposure and the development of asthma in children, especially those who are genetically vulnerable to having asthma, as stated by the CDC. Selected interventions that improve household cleanliness have the potential to reduce morbidity from asthma and other respiratory related allergies, but the CDC claims more research is needed in this arena.